Thursday, 27 February 2014

This species was observed feeding at the shoreline of Lake Awassa. It breeds predominantly in steppe and boreal wetlands and overflies wide areas on its way north; consequently in many parts of southern Europe it is rarely seen as a passage migrant. In late March it will leave its wintering grounds in Africa to fly north to its preferred breeding habitat.

Tuesday, 25 February 2014

This is the iconic stork with which everyone is familiar from the images of it nesting on roof tops and other locations close to human habitation. In fact, in many areas it has become singularly dependent on such structures, and is the stork which delivers babies according to popular legend.

It winters throughout eastern and southern Africa, with some birds in the Horn of Africa. This individual was seen in a small wetland on the way to Sof Omar.

Monday, 24 February 2014

Yellow-billed Duck must surely be one of the most descriptively named ducks of all. We saw this species in several locations in Ethiopia and it is, in fact, widespread through southern and eastern Africa.

Thursday, 20 February 2014

Grey Kestrel is an Afrotropical species found principally in West Africa, but also in western Ethiopia. We saw this species, but never more than a single individual at any one time, in several locations. It feeds principally on insects and small lizards, although we never actually witnessed it feeding. It was always a special sighting.

The principal range of Cape Crow is over a wide swath of southern Africa. Before going to Ethiopia I had seen this species as a widespread resident in South Africa. However, there is a disjunct population in the Ethiopian highlands and it was a fairly common species at many locations during our trip.

Wednesday, 19 February 2014

There is something inherently appealing about jacanas as they teeter around lily pads on their outrageous feet, often lifting their wings to stabilize their balance. I never tire of seeing them and this juvenile African Jacana was photographed at the edge of Lake Awassa. Adults were there also; unfortunately none within camera range.

Tuesday, 18 February 2014

Bev Kingdon has spent thirty-five years of her life caring for Trumpeter Swans. You must realize that this dedication involves being active during the winter months when the swans reside along the Lake Ontario shoreline in Burlington, ON. Whatever the weather, be it ice storm, sleet, freezing rain or mountains of snow, Bev unceasingly has the welfare of her beloved swans uppermost in her mind. Her task is not for the faint of heart.

Yesterday, we were privileged to spend some time with Bev and her swans as a day was dedicated to the celebration of her thirty-five years of service.

We met a woman who was moved to tears when she heard the entire story of how these swans were reintroduced into Ontario, beginning with the epic work done by Harry Lumsden. She commented that it was amazing to find out about people who live in your community, and about whom you previously knew nothing.

Bev Kingdon epitomizes a spirit of dedication and commitment to a cause, an ideal, a vision, that benefits all Canadians and enriches the lives of everyone who comes into contact with these magnificent birds. Our debt of gratitude to her can never be repaid, our mere thanks are inadequate.

Monday, 17 February 2014

We saw Malachite Kingfisher at several locations as we journeyed through Ethiopia and it never failed to amaze me. The colours of some tropical kingfishers are almost beyond belief , and in the right light seem to contain every hue and tone of iridescence imaginable. Unfortunately, I was unable to get a frontal shot of this bird, but its stunning, unforgettable beauty is clear nevertheless.

Sunday, 16 February 2014

Red-billed Firefinch was commonly seen throughout our journey in Ethiopia, often in the vicinity of human settlement. It was confiding and quite approachable. The bill colour is very distinctive and readily separates this species from other similar finches.

There are still many blog entries to be made from my trip to Ethiopia, but now that I am back home we cannot overlook our native species. It was great to see this mature Red-tailed Hawk yesterday, looking very healthy after enduring the extremely harsh winter we have suffered through this year. We should be getting towards the end of the worst weather and no doubt this bird will be paired up before too long, to produce a healthy clutch of young, we hope. The picture below was taken by Miriam.

Friday, 14 February 2014

Hornbills are stunning creatures with their outrageous bills which look like they would be impossible to manage, but they are in fact lightweight, and are used with incredible dexterity, enabling the birds to delicately pick the smallest fruit or berry from a branch. The Silvery-cheeked Hornbill is one of the largest of the arboreal hornbills and is unmistakable within its range. Its casque is far and away the largest of any species of hornbill found in Ethiopia, including the ground hornbills.

Thursday, 13 February 2014

While my primary focus is birds, I am very happy to see other organisms too, and reptiles in tropical areas always seem to have a special appeal. This Blue-headed Tree Agama was sunning itself in the open, dangerously exposed to aerial predation it seemed to me - but I was happy that it posed for a photograph!

African Fish Eagle is quite common throughout much of the African continent and its piercing call is a familiar sound around most lakes and rivers. While its primary diet is fish, either caught or scavenged, it is an opportunistic feeder and does not hesitate to take advantage of other ready sources of food.

Tuesday, 11 February 2014

John
had agreed to accompany me to the airport, despite the early hour, so
I drove over to pick him up at 02:30. There was a little snow on the
road but the drive was uneventful and we arrived at the terminal
about an hour after leaving Waterloo. I said goodbye to John and he
left to return home with the car.

I
had to stand in line for a while to get checked in, but the airport
appeared to have returned to normal after several days of disruptions
due to the appalling weather conditions experienced in the Toronto
area. I was at the boarding lounge by 05:00 for scheduled boarding
at 05:35. We actually boarded at 05:50 and then had to get de-iced.
We took off for Washington Dulles at 06:55.

The
aircraft was small, a CRJ200 Canadair Regional Jet, and many people
had to check their hand luggage. The seats were leather, and icy cold
when we first sat down.

After
encountering quite a bit of turbulence we arrived in Washington at
07:48, under grey skies with rain falling.

I
knew that Ken Lowder, a fellow birder, was taking the same flight,
and it didn't take too long to find him. Birders are pretty easy to
spot, and Ken was no exception. A fellow with a scope tripod attached
to his back pack, wearing an L.L. Bean passport holder, seemed a
likely candidate! I introduced myself and we had a great chat until
we boarded the plane for take off at 11:00. The Ethiopian Airways
flight was full to capacity, but boarding took place in a smooth,
efficient manner.

Just
before noon I was served the vegetarian lunch I had requested when
making my reservation. It consisted of curried chickpeas, saffron
rice, broccoli, a small salad and a fruit salad for dessert. The
curried chickpeas were quite tasty and I washed everything down with
a Louis Eschenauer Merlot.

Curiously,
at 18:00 (Ontario time) I was provided a chicken sandwich on a kind
of panini. It is odd that the request for vegetarian food never got
beyond the main meal and everything from that point onwards was
standard fare. In fact, on the return flight home, I would find that
the vegetarian request had not registered at all. Since I choose the
vegetarian option for convenience and not as a dietary imperative it
didn't make much difference to me, but it seemed odd that there was
an acknowledgement of my request for vegetarian options, but it
carried through to one dish only.

On
a long flight it seems that one goes from one meal to the next, and
at 21:00 (Ontario time), or 05:00 Saturday Addis Ababa time,
breakfast was delivered. It comprised a cheese omelette, home fried
potatoes, grape tomatoes, juice, a small dish of peach slices, two
bread rolls, jam, butter and coffee. I ate little of this!

Saturday
11 January 2014

Addis
Ababa

We
touched down at 07:27. The grass at the sides of the runways was cut
and baled, something I had never seen at any other airport, but it
certainly makes sense to not let a resource such as hay go to waste.

I
reconnected with Ken as we disembarked and together we lined up to
purchase our entry visas. The fee was $20.00, less than I would have
paid at the local Ethiopian consulate in Toronto, and we were through
immigration control in no time at all. Ken's bag arrived quickly on
the carousel, but mine seemed to take forever, and I was beginning to
wonder whether the baggage transfer had taken place in Washington.
Eventually it arrived, however, and we marched through Immigration
with nary a question from the officials.

We
quickly spotted a man holding a Rockjumper sign, and we were soon in
a vehicle and heading to the Ghion Hotel. We got our introduction to
the chaotic traffic of the Ethiopian capital, where vehicles,
pedestrians, street vendors, mendicants, goats, donkeys, cattle and
camels all seem to vie for the right of way.

Entrance to Ghion Hotel

I
think that all the other participants on our tour had preceded our
arrival, and Ken quickly met people he knew from previous birding
trips together. We checked into our rooms and then went back down and
onto a veranda overlooking the hotel gardens to do some birding. It
was very active and in short order I notched a few lifers – Tacazze
Sunbird, Dusky Turtle Dove, Montane White-eye, Abyssinian Slaty
Flycatcher, Mountain Thrush, Brown-rumped Seedeater, Streaky
Seedeater, Blue-breasted Bee-eater, Rüppell's Robin-Chat,
Yellow-billed Kite and Hooded Vulture.

Ken
joined others for a city tour, but I was tired and opted for a nap
instead. There was no bottled water in the room, and I was shocked
when the hotel charged me $2.00 for a small bottle.

The
Ghion Hotel is quite old and not especially well maintained. Even the
simplest things are not attended to; items as basic as tightening a
couple of screws to stabilize a shelf, bolting the wash stand to the
floor properly, or touching up a little paint. Power outlets
routinely hang from the wall. Slowly, it seems, everything falls into
disrepair. I would find this to be true throughout the entire
country, in most cases appallingly so.

Typical "maintenance"at the Ghion Hotel

We
met for dinner at 19:00 and met the two Rockjumper guides, Wayne
Jones and Andrew Stainthorpe. They were quite a contrast in both
physique and personality. Wayne was tall, slender, clearly athletic
as he would demonstrate repeatedly throughout our trip, quite urbane
and a splendid conversationalist. Andrew, a fine fellow, had the
build of a sumo wrestler, and looked like he might be more at home as
a bouncer in a bar!

Our
meal was chicken soup, fried fish with mushrooms and sautéed
vegetables, fruit salad for dessert. It was all quite tasty, but the
main course was almost cold. I tried a half bottle of Egyptian wine,
but it was truly awful. After months of reading about injera and
other Ethiopian dishes, and obligate eating with the right hand, I
would have preferred something Ethiopian to introduce us to local
cuisine. I was disappointed to have soup spoons and western food!

After
dinner, we all returned to our rooms to get some sleep so as to be
bright, and ready to get right to serious birding the following
morning.

My
body had stillnot
adjusted to my travels and I was wide awake at 02:00. I sat up in bed
and finished the book I had started on the flights. Obviously, I had
no trouble being ready for our scheduled 05:30 departure, and
everyone else was on time too.

We
met our driver, Demmi, and boarded a quite spacious bus, accompanied
by a second vehicle, a 4 x 4 jeep type, which would accompany us
throughout the entire trip. In fact it carried, amongst other things,
all that was necessary to prepare our meals in the field.

Our
first stop was at Lake Chelekcheka. I had read copiously about the
profusion of bird life there, and I was not disappointed. The range
of species and the number of individuals was simply staggering. I had
never seen Common Crane, yet here were countless thousands all taking
flight, and filling the morning air with their loud, trumpeting calls
as they left to forage elsewhere. In sharp contrast to the huge
numbers of Common Cranes, a party of four Black-crowned Cranes
provided a stellar view of an eminently gorgeous African species.

Many
species of waterfowl were present, mostly species we see farther
north at a different time of the year. I got my lifer Wattled Ibis,
and it was great to see a couple of African Spoonbills. Three other
species of ibis were present – Hadada Ibis, African Sacred Ibis and
Glossy Ibis.

African Sacred Ibis and Spur-winged Lapwings feeding

There
were both Reed Cormorants and the striking White-breasted Cormorant
for contrast. Red-knobbed Coots sallied along the water with the
characteristic head-jerking motion of coots the world over. African
Jacanas daintily picked their way over the lily pads.

Western Cattle Egret

Passerines
were well-represented also, with a Rufous-tailed Shrike perched for
an extended period atop a bush giving all a magnificent view and
generous photographic opportunities. Somali Crows and Fan-tailed
Ravens veered through the air; there was a pleasing variety of
shorebirds and a Pied Kingfisher hovered above the water.

We
moved on after a couple of hours to take breakfast at a restaurant called Dreamland on the shore of Lake Bishoftu. It was by now past
10:00 and I, and I believe everyone else, was getting hungry! Since I
have breakfast at home between 05:30 and 06:00 it seemed closer to
the hour for lunch than breakfast. It would prove to be the case that
throughout the entire trip that no semblance of regularity for meal
times was ever maintained. I started with a glass of excellent mango
juice, followed by a huge serving of tibs, my first encounter with
Ethiopian food, and wonderful coffee. Thank goodness my meal aroused
the curiosity of a few others, who helped me to get through it –
and there was still some left on the plate! It was very tasty, and a
dish I would have again before leaving Ethiopia.

There
was prolific bird life at Lake Bishoftu and we all enjoyed ourselves
looking out from the balcony at Dreamland to the wooded slopes and
the lake itself. Here we first saw Montane White-eye at close range,
at times in competition for a perch with Abyssinian Wheatear or
Mocking Cliff Chat. The lake bore several species of duck including
Maccoa Duck, resplendent in bright sunlight. Lesser Flamingos hugged
the shore, while Great White Pelicans formed a little flotilla out on
the water.

After
leaving Dreamland we made several stop including the area around Koka
Dam and at the edge of Lake Ziway, and the birding was always
fantastic. We were, however, besieged with children. These kids have
nothing, their life is one of constant grinding poverty, they are
always hungry, and we had no difficulty in recognizing that, but they
were aggressive and demanding. They constantly begged for money,
jostled, grabbed onto one's clothing and crowded around everyone in
dense numbers at times. They were not above outright theft. One
opportunist snatched the pen from Carsten's hand and attempted to run
away with it, but he was caught by Trevor and the pen was returned.
Back on the bus, clutching his pen, Carsten realized that his
sunscreen had been lifted from his pouch.

Lunch
was provided at a restaurant whose name I forgot to record, but I had
an excellent plate of fried fish with a spicy sauce.

A
stop at Lake Awassa furnished us with the incredible spectacle of
hundreds (quite literally) of Marabou Storks, Great White and
Pink-backed Pelicans, Hamerkops, Sacred Ibis, Western Yellow Wagtail
and several shore birds all attendant upon local fishermen who were
gutting their catch.

We
did not arrive at our hotel until 19:30, fourteen hours after setting
out in the morning. We went for dinner at 20:00 and postponed our
list for the day due to the late hour. I had vegetable soup which was
quite tasty, grilled fish (which was in fact battered fish) with
battered vegetables also. Someone thinks batter is better I guess; I
did not share that opinion. Mediocre would be high praise! Dessert
was a fresh pineapple slice, with coffee for anyone not fearing
caffeine so late at night.

The
room was dowdy, the outlets were hanging from the wall, the mosquito
net was repaired with duct tape. I was bitten twice while making my
daily notes so I voiced a small note of thanks under my breath for
the tape covering the holes in the net.

At
22:00 I showered in lukewarm water with little pressure and turned in
for the night.

We
met for a coffee at 06:15 and began to bird in the grounds of the
hotel. What a successful venture this was! In no time at all we had
located African Spotted Creeper and everyone was able to have very
good looks at this bird. This excitement was followed in short order
by the sightings of two Eurasian Wrynecks and a single Rufous-necked
Wryneck. Quite a trio, I thought. And Andrew, doing reconnaissance
for his first solo trip in Ethiopia, was making mental notes as to
where he would be able to produce these birds for his group.

Leaving
the hotel grounds we crossed the street and everyone took great
pleasure in two near endemic Black-billed Wood Hoopoes. Many Marabou
Storks circled overhead and there were nests in the trees all around,
with birds standing like soldiers at a guard post. Numerous other
species of lesser renown rounded out a fine early morning of birding.

African Mourning Dove

The
road we had crossed was a quite grand boulevard bearing all the marks
of the Italian occupation of Ethiopia, then called Abyssinia. It was
wide with leafy trees and elegant walls at the side. Needless to say
all was decaying and sadly neglected. Magnificence was giving way to
decrepitude.

We
went to the dining room at the hotel restaurant for breakfast and I
had porridge and split an order of French toast with Ken. I must say
that porridge was universally good throughout our entire journey and
it was rarely that this was not my breakfast selection. Coffee was
also generally first class, although exactly how it would be made was
a bit of a guessing game, and sometimes there was no milk available
for those who did not prefer it black.

Following
breakfast we loaded up our luggage and moved a short distance to the
shore of Lake Awassa. Marabou Storks, Great White Pelicans, African
Sacred Ibis and Hamerkops were everywhere, moving without fear among
the throng of humanity, grabbing every morsel they could find. A
visit to the Fish Market was an exercise in sensory overload; a
seething mass of humanity contained fishermen, peddlars, beggars,
naked children swimming out to importune tourists on small craft on
the lake, tour guides hawking their trips, and every other manner of
enterprising soul. As for birds, there was a very agreeable variety,
including both Black-headed and Grey-headed Gulls, Gull-billed Terns,
and delicate White-winged Terns picking insects from the surface of
the water like so many acrobatic swallows. A cohort of herons was
made up of Grey Heron, Squacco Heron, Cattle Egret and Little Egret.

I
gave away a couple of Canada flag pins to children who had attached
themselves to our group and was immediately surround by about thirty
pushing, shoving, yelling kids. It became impossible to hand out the
pins in any kind of orderly fashion as hands reached in to grab
whatever they could, and finally I just dumped out the box into the
scrum so that I could extricate myself from it.

Lake Awassa

We
moved on along typically dusty, rut-filled, boulder-strewn roads,
with occasional asphalt, and at one point stopped to examine an eagle
perched on a utility pole. After much examination and discussion the
consensus was that it was a Tawny Eagle, but the primary excitement
at this stop took place on the other side of the road. The carcass of
a donkey was being devoured by vultures (Rueppell's, White-backed and
Hooded) with a Marabou Stork and several Pied Crows awaiting their
place at the table. Strangely, I thought, there was no odour coming
from the carcass, and it was being demolished in short order.

A
little while later we stopped to search for Abyssinian Longclaw and
were successful in having extended views of this bird that looks
somewhat like a miniature meadowlark. The children here were
especially nasty and Wayne cautioned us that they often threw rocks
and dung.

Lunch
was taken at a restaurant in Dadola where we had typical Ethiopian
food – injera, a lamb and onion stew, pasta, rice, tomato sauce,
hot sauce, carrots and rice. This was followed by a macchiato coffee
which was quite wonderful.

After
lunch we went to a location known for Cape Eagle Owl in the past and
Wayne sought the assistance of the local people. They indeed knew
where to find the owl and were able to show it to us. This was rugged
terrain and as we gingerly picked our way up and down boulder strewn
slopes and steep-sided ridges, the locals moved about with speed and
confidence. I should mention that Wayne alone was intrepid among us,
he bounded, gambolled and jumped over obstacles with the panache and
ease of a gazelle. He was right at home in this landscape and
demonstrated boundless energy that never seemed to flag.

In
contrast to to the aggressive ways of people in the city, the
residents here were kind and respectful. It was a great pleasure to
be with them and before leaving we gave them a little money and I
presented small Canada flags to a whole group of children. It was
heartwarming to cast a backward glance as we pulled away at the
little sea of maple leaf flags waving to us.

Children with Canadian flags

We
moved on, driving slowly by necessity, through beautiful, mountainous
terrain as we traversed the Bale National Park on the way to our
hostelry for the night.

We
arrived at Goba Wabishele Hotel at 18:45 and I made a hasty dash to
my room. Despite having taken Dukarol as I usually do before leaving,
it seemed not to be providing its usual protection. I had a little
dose of turista! I took cipro
right away, generally a sure fire cure for this common traveller's
problem.

We
did the list for two days and had dinner at 19:15. There was cream of
onion soup, but I think it was sans onion, roasted veal with rice,
potato chips and a green veggie of indeterminate identity. The veal
was hot, everything else was cold. Dessert was fried bananas, but I
passed on it.

As
has been the case in every room so far, the lighting is really poor.
There is just one central light in the ceiling, with a bulb that I
doubt is more than 60 watts, in a circular shade filled with dead
flies. Thank goodness for my headlamp.

The
shower had hot water intermittently, swinging from scalding to barely
tepid, with no method that I could detect to regulate it, so my
shower was a kind of hop in and hop out affair! I was in bed by about
21:30.

I
had set my alarm for 05:00 but I was awake before then. We were now
in a predominantly muslim area and the call to prayer seemed to have
been pervading the air all night.

Breakfast
at 06:00 was pretty standard fare and I opted for porridge. My
stomach was already starting to feel a little better. The shower this
morning delivered no hot water at all, so I took a cold shower; who
knew that bathing could be such an adventure!

Thick-billed Ravens

We
left to go birding in a tid or juniper forest, not distinguished by
any specific location name as far as I know. Birding was rewarding
there and we observed a stunning White-cheeked Turaco, in addition to
two Abyssinian Woodpeckers and Cinnamon Bracken Warbler. Just four of
us saw an adult Golden Eagle soaring on wings like planks with the
sun glistening off its golden nape.

We
travelled on the highest road in Africa as we traversed the Bale
National Park located on the Sanetti Plateau. This area is
characterized by Giant Lobelias, and ubiquitous Moorland Chats stood

Giant Lobelias

guard on rocky outcrops like sentinels surveying the landscape. We
saw stunning Ruddy Shelducks, denizens of high mountain ponds,
Blue-winged Goose, and numerous small groups of Chestnut-naped
Francolins. Augur Buzzard, a very attractive raptor, was common.
Rouget's Rails, surely the boldest of all the rails, promenaded
around without any attempt to conceal themselves, in totally
unrail-like fashion. Two Red-billed Choughs were our only sighting of
the trip, and the endemic Ethiopian Siskin was commonplace in small
flocks. Perhaps the greatest
attraction of all, however, was multiple views of the endemic Simian
Wolf, the world's rarest canid. Its principal prey is the abundant
Giant Root Rat, a strange creature indeed, with eyes located high on
its head.

Lunch
was prepared outdoors by Demmi and the other driver whose name eludes
me, and a fine affair it was too. They prepared spaghetti with a very
tasty fish sauce. The “juice” was in fact a fruity drink made
from crystals, but the coffee was excellent.

Preparing for lunch

After
lunch we descended to the Harenna Forest, the largest protected
Afro-alpine forest on the continent. I say protected with tongue in
cheek for everywhere we went in areas that were nominally protected
we saw incursions of human settlement, and livestock seemed to wander
freely. National parks and other reserves were protected in name only
as far as we could see. On any grassland there was barely a blade of
grass more than 2cm high as it was constantly mown down by sheep,
goats and cattle.

On
the long drive back to Goba I had a delightful chat with Ann Jones,
which made the time pass more quickly than it otherwise would have
done.

We
arrived back at our hotel around 18:00 and met at 18:30 to do the
list, with dinner at 19:00. I had cream of vegetable soup, burger
steak with rice, potato chips and a green vegetable of some ilk, a
pancake stuffed with marmalade and coffee. It was all quite good.

Back
to the room and the shower was still a game of hot water roulette!
Tonight I had only cold!

The
room is actually quite crummy. The toilet is flushed by pulling on a
knob connected to a cord through the centre of the lid and it keeps
coming undone. The hot water tap (with no hot water) drips
constantly, and the whole place is grubby throughout.

I
was awake at 04:00 but had slept well until then. Ironically, given
the generally poor to abysmal conditions of the accommodations in
Ethiopia, the beds were for the most part comfortable, and it was
rare that a good night's sleep was not forthcoming.

Still
no hot water in the shower!

Breakfast
was at 06:00 and I split an order of tibs with Cecil. It was quite
excellent and we both enjoyed our Ethiopian fare.

Wayne
informed us that our plans would have to be modified. Demmi had
received notification that the road to Sof Omar had been washed out
and was impassable. From what I could gather Demmi had express
instructions from his office not to attempt the journey.

We
birded at a local wetland, which was very productive, netting us a
variety of waterfowl and our first White Storks of the trip. Wayne
knew that Garganey had eluded me many times at other venues and he
showed obvious delight in getting some in the scope for me to see.
Unfortunately, they were all females, and I have yet to see the
distinctive plumage of the male. A gorgeous Pallid Harrier put on a
great display for us and there were several groups of the endemic
Spot-breasted Lapwing.

Red-knobbed Coot

Wayne
decided that we should travel as far as the impediment in the road
and then reassess our plans at that point. We journeyed through an
area of agricultural development with extensive grain crops. It was
called the Sinana Agricultural Development and apparently is funded
by Saudi Arabian money, with the grain being principally exported to
that country.

Spot-breasted Plovers

When
we arrived at the section of the road deemed impassable, Wayne sussed
out the situation, and it was Lisa who suggested that if we all
gathered rocks and filled the hole in the road, Demmi would be able
to get across. This is what we all did, and lo and behold, we safely
made it to the other side. Onwards to Sof Omar! The only issue it
seemed to me was that Wayne had informed us that under normal
circumstances we would have made an early 04:30 start due to the
distances to be covered that day. Here we were, mid morning already
and only just embarking on the route. After a very uncomfortable,
bumpy, dusty, obstacle-filled journey, we arrived at our destination
at 12:30.

Demmi
said he could not make it down the hill with the bus so we all walked
down, birding all the while, to a building where lunch had been set
up. It was a structure provided for a BBC crew who had been there to
film the caves of Sof Omar, and it had been turned over to the
residents of the area when they departed. Sadly it has fallen into
disrepair, with broken windows and an overall atmosphere of decay.
Lunch was a bean/corn salad made from canned goods accompanied by
canned sardines. It was okay, but nowhere near as good as the pasta
of the previous day. We birded again after lunch, spending a little
time near a very pleasant watercourse. But, there was no time to make
the planned visit to one of the caves, an event I think we had all
looked forward to given the eminence accorded them. Speaking for
myself only, I had researched them quite a bit during the months
leading up to the trip, and it was quite a disappointment to have the
opportunity to experience them whisked away from us.

We
boarded the bus again at 16:30 to begin the long journey back to
Goba, negotiating around camels all the while, along a very hot,
extremely dusty road that was in terrible condition. Whenever the bus
jerked and heaved over a particularly rocky area we were bounced
around in our seats and clouds of dust entered the vehicle through
every crack or cranny. We, and everything we carried with us, were
coated in it. On a bit of a smooth stretch we would open the windows
to get a little air into the vehicle, only to close them again as
soon as someone spotted a vehicle approaching us. The cry of “major
dust” became familiar to us all.

Camels on the road

After
a couple of hours (or more, I can't remember) we arrived back at the
area where we had filled the depression in the road with rocks in the
morning. For some reason Demmi elected not to drive over that area
and promptly buried the bus up to its axles. We all disembarked to
lighten the weight of the bus and he was able to back out of the
hole. In the meantime a whole convoy of other vehicles, including
numerous huge trucks, had started to line up behind Demmi. It was
dark and the sheer number of lights illuminated the entire area. What
to do? Well, since we all by now had experience as an Ethiopian road
construction crew, we once again all set to and gathered rocks to
toss into the depression and finally Demmi made it through. We all
got back on the bus and set off for Goba, arriving at the hotel just
before 21:00. We went to dinner fifteen minutes later. I had oatmeal
soup (it was the same porridge we had in the morning), fried chicken
with rice and the little potato chips we had been served before. It
was not bad, but certainly not terrific.

This
had not been a great day. We spent a little over nine hours driving
to get in barely three and a half hours of birding – and no visit
to the world renowned caves of Sof Omar.

But,
I had great news to end the day. There was glorious hot water in the
shower and I lingered under it to try to wash off all the dust.
Despite soaping vigorously, and for a long time too, the towel was
still brown from dust when I dried myself. I think the dust has
become a permanent resident in my pores!

I
turned in at 22:27, glad to close the chapter on the day's
activities.

I
was awake at 05:00 and we had breakfast at 05:50. I had my usual
porridge and split an order of French toast with Ken. We were back on
the road by 06:00 en route to Negele via the same route across Bale
Mountain National Park we had travelled yesterday.

Ruddy Shelduck

By
the time we hit the plateau we had wonderful light and made stops for
Moorland Francolin, Ethopian Cisticola, Rouget's Rail, Moorland Chat
and Ethiopian Siskin, amongst others. The scenery was magnificent and
the light afforded us superb views of the wildlife. Ethiopian wolves
made several appearances and we espied Giant Root Rats at the
entrance to their burrows. We saw one wolf digging furiously at a
hole, but as far as we could tell it left without capturing its prey.
Another was seen with a bird in its mouth; it disappeared behind a
low promontory, and promptly re-appeared empty-mouthed. It must have
swallowed its prey whole, or buried it for retrieval later.

At
the Juniper Forest we made a concerted effort to locate Abyssinian
Catbird and finally everyone had a great look at this endemic
species. It bears a certain similarity to the Grey Catbird of North
America, but it is in an unrelated genus.

Blue-winged Goose

Although
we stopped to bird at a couple of spots we were essentially
relentlessly pushing on towards Negele. Lunch was taken at 14:00 –
tuna sandwiches on a very fine crusty bread, and a fruit drink made
from powdered crystals. When it was time to go Demmi had trouble
starting the vehicle and continued to have problems unless he was
facing downslope. At one point Andrew, in an impressive show of
strength, single-handedly pushed the bus to get it started.

It
was very hot, the roads were in awful condition and the dust choking,
but we journeyed onwards. We did make a stop in a wooded area to
search for Ruspoli's Turaco, and with the help of local children were
successful. We gave the children a little money and Canada flag pins
in return for their efforts.

After
a very long drive we finally arrived at our hotel at 20:00. This
hotel (Konjo Hotel) did not have a restaurant so we left almost
immediately to go into town to the Nile Hotel for dinner. Great local
food there; most of us ate Ethiopian that night.

These
brutally long days, with most of the time spent imprisoned on the bus
with relatively few hours of birding, are starting to take their toll
on everyone. There was considerable bickering at dinner, and some
people expressed dissatisfaction with Wayne's style of leadership. It
seemed to me that there was nothing fundamental involved, and for the
most part I was very pleased with Wayne, but frustration was starting
to bubble over and there were few happy campers that night.

We
returned to our hotel and at the end of a day of abysmal roads the
room pretty much matched it. Toilet paper consisted of a few little
squares folded up; and one thin, almost threadbare towel. Almost no
water came out of the faucet, a trickle of cold came out of the
shower and the toilet had to be flushed with a jug of water. Overall
the room looked like it needed a good scrub.

I
charged my camera battery in the outlet which was, as usual, falling
off the wall, and I was in bed by 23:00.

I
woke up at 03:35 and the bathroom floor was still wet from my cold
shower last night and it really stank in there. Suddenly the reason
dawned on me. There are no traps in the toilets so there is no
barrier to odours. I had noticed that the toilet brush in all the
rooms so far was strategically placed over the drain and now I
understand why; it is a useless attempt to mask the smell. The
non-functioning hot water tank is located above the back of the
toilet and it drips constantly. When you sit on the toilet seat you
get a little shower.

I
went back to bed but had a hard time getting back to sleep. If truth
be told, I was missing Miriam more than I had ever thought I would. I
never thought I would say this, but this may be my last hard core
birding trip. I'd rather do something more leisurely, with a
reasonable standard of comfort, and have her along with me.

We
left at 05:45 and had breakfast in the field at 08:00. The guys
provided porridge, toast, honey, peanut butter, scrambled eggs and
coffee. It was all excellent but I just had porridge with a little
honey to sweeten it, and coffee.

Lilac-breasted Roller

After
breakfast we moved on, driving towards the Somali border through dry
woodland and thorn savanna. We saw our first Somali Ostriches and
Yellow-necked Spurfowl on this section of the journey, and
experienced a good range of raptors including Bateleur, a species
that would prove to be relatively elusive overall, and a stunning
Pallid Harrier.

Somali Ostrich

Lunch
was served at around 14:00 again prepared by Demmi and his helper. We
birded while they set up and cooked and the result was excellent. We
were treated to fusilli pasta with a tomato sauce, sautéed
vegetables and fresh orange wedges. It was especially pleasing to
have some fresh fruit. There was the usual fruit drink made from
powder, and coffee.

We
drove relatively short distances and stopped periodically to bird.
Significant species sighted were Somali Short-toed Lark, Sidamo Lark
and Plain-backed Pipit, all located on the Liben Plain.

We
arrived back at the Konjo Hotel just past 18:00 and got ready to go
to the Nile Hotel for dinner at 18:45. I had an excellent traditional
Ethiopian fasting meal, with injera and dollops of various sauces and
other items. It was very enjoyable indeed.

While
we were eating Demmi took the vehicle to a mechanic to get the
starter problem fixed. It was amazing that he could get service so
late at night and within a relatively short period of time he was
back at the restaurant, the problem solved.

Today
was characterized by incredible red dust everywhere. It coated us,
our binoculars, cameras – everything. My boots were a bright red
and the dust worked its way inside my clothes. I cleaned my optics
twice on the bus and again at the hotel, I took a cold shower and the
water turned red. I am sure that we blocked the drains that night as
we all deposited the day's dust into them! The roads today were
clogged with hundreds upon hundreds of camels, goats, cattle, donkeys
and people. With all the animals grazing everywhere it's a wonder
that there is any vegetation left.

It
was an early start this morning and my alarm was set for 03:30. We
were all on the bus and ready to go at 04:00, to start out on the
long journey to Yabello.

Breakfast
was served in the field at 09:30 and we had the same fare as
yesterday. I was quite happy with my porridge. Just before breakfast
we spotted our first Vulturine Guineafowl of the trip, a handsome
bird indeed, and we had repeated great looks at Yellow-necked
Spurfowl. We were now travelling through acacia savanna dotted with
red termite mounds, some of which were quite immense, heading towards
the border with Kenya. We made a few brief stops to do a little
birding but for the most part we just pushed on.

Termite Mound

At
times it was quite difficult with ten birders plus two guides for
everyone to get on a bird. There always seemed to be a lot of
peripheral chatter going on and I think that Wayne had difficulty at
times corralling everyone's attention.

Once
when we stopped for a short period I gave a Canada flag pin to a very
striking young lady, but a man came over and from what we could
gather indicated that it was pointless to give her just one. He was
pointing to his ears and clearly indicating that she needed two. I
gave her a second one and she inserted them into her ear lobes and
seemed very happy with her new jewelry!

We
stopped for lunch at 15:00 and had the same bean salad and sardines
as the other day – not my favourite lunch but it certainly served
the purpose.

As
we travelled we saw the diminutive Pygmy Falcon and had our first
sighting of the huge

Pygmy Falcon

Kori Bustard. At one stop Andrew mimicked a
Pearl-spotted Owlet and quickly lured one in, mobbed by a large
contingent of passerines. Three new species of hornbill were added
for the trip – African Grey, Eastern Yellow-billed and Von der
Decken's, as well as our second sighting of the huge and impressive
African Ground Hornbill. Perhaps the most significant sighting of all
was of Stresemann's Bush Crow, an endemic species found only in this
region of Ethiopia. It looks very little like a corvid and very much
like a starling; I don't think its affinities are conclusively
established yet.

Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill

En
route to Yabello we passed through a village where a huge celebration
was taking place. It seemed as though the entire population was
dancing in the street, and Demmi quite calmly eased his vehicle
through the throng. We were advised that it was a Christian
celebration to commemorate something or other Jesus did in the Jordan
River.

We
arrived in Yabello at 19:00 which meant that we had spent fourteen
and a half hours on the road with only a few brief stops for birding
and meals. Having got the keys to the rooms, everyone had trouble
with the locks to the room doors. None of the tumblers seemed to line
up and some of the locks were on the verge of falling off the doors.
Lisa had to dismantle and fix her lock to get into the room and Ken
could not get his to work at all and he was locked out of his room.
The hotel finally called a locksmith.

We
went for dinner almost right away but many items on the menu were
unavailable and service was incredibly slow. I waited over an hour
for a bowl of soup and almost another hour for my main dish of beef
goulash with cold rice and veggies.

I
did a little laundry and arranged to have a pair of pants laundered
at the hotel.

Dust
is getting into everything and both my carry on and my suitcase are
discoloured by it. Ken is talking about trying to find a hose,
emptying his suitcase and wetting it down to try to clean it up a
little. I must say that Demmi and the other driver do a conscientious
job of covering our luggage with tarps on top of the bus and lashing
everything down securely, but this continual fine dust gets into
everything.

I
was in bed by 23:00, snuggled under the blankets beneath the mosquito
net with its random patchwork of tape-sealed holes!

I
had set the alarm for 05:15 but I was awake at 04:45 after a decent
night's sleep. We left to go birding at 06:00 and it was not long
before we were seeing Crested Francolins and Yellow-necked Spurfowl
alongside the bus.

Greater Blue-eared Glossy Starling

We
returned to the hotel for breakfast at 08:30. It was standard fare
and I had a piece of toast with marmalade and a bowl of porridge.

As
we were travelling this morning I was given to pondering the sheer
numbers of young people in this country. I have no idea what the
exact percentage is, but it is very significant. Sometimes it seems
as though everyone is under twenty. The population of Ethiopia is
already almost ninety millions, and its birth rate is high. How a
burgeoning population can be fed in this parched land is beyond my
comprehension, and the impact on the wildlife will be devastating. I
think this will be exacerbated by the philosophy that more cattle and
other livestock conveys status and prestige to its owner.

After
breakfast we all boarded the bus again and set off to do some birding
locally.

We
were back at the Yabello Motel for lunch at around 14:00 and I had a
vegetable plate which was not bad, but a little bland for my liking.
It was very hot now (Craig's thermometer was registering in excess of
forty degrees) and Wayne suggested we all rest up until 16:00 when we
would venture forth again. I took advantage of the lull to do some
laundry and set the wet clothes outside to dry. In the intense dry
heat it didn't take long! Two Thick-billed Ravens, with their
outrageous bills, entertained me royally with their antics as I
draped my wet shirt over the back of a chair.

I
had a bit of a sore throat and thought I might be coming down with
something, but it passed so I assumed it was just the effect of the
dust.

White-bellied Go-away-bird

We
left again at 16:00 and saw many raptors, including the delightful,
diminutive Pygmy Falcon, so improbably tiny, yet elegant and
appealing. Our first Buff-crested Bustard of the trip put in an
appearance. One of the highlights for me was to see the enigmatic and
beautiful d'Arnaud's Barbet performing its clock-winding tail
display. Dinner was prepared in the bush. Demmi's version of
Ethiopian tibs was the best we had anywhere on the trip, and he added
a wonderful dish of sautéed cabbage. It was simply superb and I
continued to be impressed with the food these guys produced on basic
equipment under less than ideal conditions.

A
night drive on the way back produced two beautiful Genets, but no
owls or nightjars.

When
we returned to the hotel we all went to claim our laundry and it was
mass confusion. They had everyone's clothes mixed up! My pants were
nowhere to be seen. Little wonder, they had given them to Cecil! He
brought them to me, but Andrew and others still were attempting to
get their clothes when I left to return to my room.

A
club across the street from the hotel played music at a decibel level
that was simply astonishing. I am sure that the entire town could
hear it. It was still blaring when I turned out the lights at 23:00.
No hot water for a shower – damn!

Up
at 05:00 – dare I hope for hot water? Well, hope was about all
there was! No hot water. Bags outside at 05:50 for a 06:00 departure.

Bathroom Detail

Bathroom detail

Today,
as we scrupulously maintained a seat rotation, it was my turn in the
back seat, so I was hoping that my back did not get jarred too much.
The luggage seemed to get packed a little differently every time, and
I was surrounded by carry-on bags and Trevor's scope.

When
the bus went over a nasty bump, aside from getting bounced skywards
in the seat, clouds of dust would surge up, both entering from
outside and billowing up from the abundance of it already coating the
inside of the vehicle. I think I had a lining of dust from my trachea
to my gut! There was a spare seat on the side of the bus with double
seats and I moved forward to share it thereby avoiding most of of the
spinal rearrangement that occurred at the back.

We
got out of the bus and enjoyed a very pleasant forty-five minutes of
birding while Demmi prepared coffee and opened packs of cookies to
keep us going until breakfast. The premier bird of this stop was
Red-bellied Parrot, and we also got a great look at a White-cheeked
Turaco.

Immature Black-headed Oriole

At
09:30 we stopped for breakfast at Bure Hora and I had a fine porridge
that tasted like rice pudding. The coffee was really strong, however,
and I diluted it with lots of milk.

As
we had journeyed this morning we saw lots of road-building going on,
all done by the Chinese, and no doubt financed by Chinese money. We
also saw joint ventures with Ethiopian companies but were led to
believe that they were joint in name only. Wayne told of numerous
other Chinese ventures on the African continent. It appears that the
Chinese are slowly buying up Africa!

We
travelled onwards, stopping to bird every now and then.

Lunch
was taken at 14:00 at a restaurant in Dila. I had roast lamb, rice,
and the little potato chips which seemed to be served everywhere.
This meal was very tasty and even the rice was hot. As we stood
outside after lunch, we were approached by all manner of beggars. It
became somewhat disquieting, at least it did for me (I cannot speak
for the others), to stand there wearing binoculars around my neck
that most Ethiopians would require eight years of income to buy. The
disconnect between my life in Canada and that of the citizens of the
third world never seemed more stark. One poor woman seemed especially
distressed and looked very hungry, so I gave her a hundred birrs
(about $5.00). It would make a difference to her day and would barely
buy me a coffee and a muffin back home.

As
we drove out of Dila Wayne stopped to buy a branch of little bananas
and they were delicious indeed. Everyone was very happy to have a
little fresh fruit which had been almost totally absent on this trip.

We
arrived at Bishangari Lodge at 19:40 - another day of almost fourteen
hours on the road, with stops for only forty-five minutes of birding
in the morning and breakfast and lunch breaks. The amount of time
spent driving was really getting ridiculous.

At
least the lodge had very decent accommodation. The rooms were
spacious and lovely and relatively well maintained. My room had two
double beds and a single bed, with intact mosquito nets unsullied by
duct tape repairs.

Dinner
was served in an outdoor shelter and the atmosphere was very
pleasant. I had zucchini soup, fried fish, rice and veggies, with a
banana split for dessert. Everything was well prepared, nicely
presented and very tasty. This was the only location we stayed at
that had a selection of decent South African wine, so I bought a
bottle of Merlot, which I shared with Ann and Andrew. Up to this
point this was hands down the most agreeable meal of the entire trip.

I
was back at my room by 21:30, showered in hot water, and turned in
for the night. Too bad we were not staying there for more than one
night.

Accommodation:
Bishangari Lodge Rating:
Three and three quarter stars.

Tuesday
21 January 2014

Bishangari
– Lake Langano (Wabeshebelle)

I
had a good night's sleep, but the water in the shower is cold this
morning. The light in the bathroom, a single small fluorescent tube,
flickers constantly and gives very poor light. Overall, the room at
this location is vastly superior to anything we have so far
experienced, but this is another example of how a minimum amount of
maintenance could take care of such minor issues.

Wayne
had arranged coffee at 05:30 before going birding. We all met and
left with a local guide, Hakim, who had but one functional eye, but
proved to be very competent nonetheless. We traversed a good deal of
terrain and at times the birding was quite exceptional. Good looks
at a Blue-spotted Wood Dove would turn out to be our only sighting
anywhere. The same was true of an African Pygmy Kingfisher, and a
Brown-throated Wattle-eye.

Blue-breasted Bee-eater

There was never a moment when we didn't
have a pleasing variety of species in view.
As we walked through the forest children going to
school used the paths and herdsmen drove their cattle in among the
trees where they promptly began to devour everything in sight. I
swear that every centimetre of vegetation in this country will be
chewed to a nub.

Speckled Pigeon

At
one point Wayne spotted a twinspot, but most of us failed to see it.
We all tried to crowd into a small clearing to get focused on the
bird; but it became abundantly clear that ten participants and two
guides, or three as was the case this morning, was simply unworkable.
What most of us saw was the backs of the people in front of us.

Wayne
had promised we would return for breakfast at 08:30; in was in fact
10:00 when we sat down to eat. As usual I had porridge. Ken had an
order of doughnuts, which turned out to be three. I split it with him
and then gave half a doughnut to Andrew. They were really quite good.
There was real mango juice and good coffee.

After
breakfast we went birding again. A visit to the lake yielded Common
Ringed and Kittlitz's Plovers. In the same area we spotted our first
Curlew Sandpipers of the trip. Camels bathed and wallowed in the
shallows, donkeys cavorted, cattle meandered and people busied
themselves with all manner of activities. It was an Ethiopian diorama
in real time.

Lunch
was taken at 14:30, and I had vegetable soup and Mexican chicken and
rice. It was all very agreeable. Just as we sat down, Wayne located a
few Scaly Francolins. Most people got up from the table to go and see
the birds, but I was hot, dusty, weary and happy to be drinking my
juice, so I eschewed the opportunity and missed a lifer! Miriam could
hardy believe it when I told her!

As
I was returning to my room to put out my luggage for the onward
journey I saw two Broad-billed Rollers perched on a snag. I returned
to let Wayne know and the birds stayed at their perch for quite a
while and I believe that everyone got to see them. As it turned out
it would be our only sighting of the trip so it was a fortuitous
event.

Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu

We
left Bishangari to head for Wabeshebelle at 15:30 and birded a little
along the way.

Arriving
a little later than I think Wayne had anticipated, we went
immediately to locate a Greyish Eagle-Owl in a spot where it was
known to roost. It was right there where it should be! The same was
true of a Slender-tailed Nightjar, cryptically camouflaged on a
carpet of leaves, the only nightjar we would see in all of Ethiopia.

Looking
at the buildings along the shore of Lake Langano, Cecil made the
apropos observation that when built by the Italians the place that
now looked as though it could totally collapse at any minute, had no
doubt been a fine, upscale resort for people of wealth and privilege.
All around one could see fine detail in the brickwork, paths and
other features of the structures. Remnants of past glory, sadly, were
now decrepit, crumbling, ill cared for shadows of their former
selves. Garbage hugged the walls, blown there by the wind and tossed
by people who care not at all for cleanliness, decency and any
semblance of order. It was a sad spectacle.

We
were housed in little cabins which were dirty, unkempt and barely
functional. There was no seat on the toilet and no lid on the toilet
tank. The water was straight from the lake, laden with sediment, and
deep brown in colour. The whole place stunk, and I mean stunk – a
malodorous scent of nauseating quality. I tried to wash my hands, and
silt-laden water even dirtier than my hands came through the faucet.
I tried as best as I could to apply some soap, and when I finished
the sink was filled with brown silt. In addition the room was very
hot, so the offensive odours were magnified and the assault on my
nostrils was enough to make me gag. Camping in tents would have been
preferable to these unseemly hovels.

Dinner
was served in a restaurant located in the main building. There were
two options for soup – tomato and vegetable. The vegetable soup was
in fact identical to the tomato soup except for a few pieces of
potato added in. I chose goat tibs for my main course. I thought that
local fare would be quickly served, but in fact everyone else had
completely finished their meal before mine even arrived at the table.
It was quite good, but certainly not exceptional.

I
turned in for the night thankful that we would only spent one night
here.

I
had a poor night's sleep, awaking several times. The room stunk and
everywhere was filthy. I will not be sorry to leave.

Breakfast
was at 06:00. What was called juice clearly was not, but I drank it
anyway. I had half a slice of toast with marmalade, porridge and
coffee. Mercifully, we were on the road by 07:00.

Today's
activity centred primarily around a visit to two adjacent lakes, Lake
Abijatta and Lake Shalla. Abijatta is a shallow, brackish depression,
while Shalla is steep-sided and deep. Consequently the bird life
differs markedly from one lake to the other.

We
were joined on this excursion by a delightful, young lady from the
Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Organization. I have no idea why we
needed her to accompany us, but it is perhaps a make-work project.
She seemed to co-opt me somewhat, but any thought that I might have
had about my magnetic charm, was soon dissipated when she said, “I
will walk with you, grandfather.” But, in truth, she was very good
company and I enjoyed the time spent with her.

Our guard

At
Lake Abijatta we saw an African Fish Eagle feeding on a flamingo, and
found the remains of a couple of earlier meals. I suspect that fish
eagles have developed a skill in taking down flamingos, and perhaps
have even progressed to a preference for this prey over their normal
diet of fish. Both Greater and Lesser Flamingos were present, in good
numbers too. The sight of flamingos “marching” through the
shallows, in that precise kind of formation they have, always seems
very special to me. We saw huge numbers of Abdim's Storks, mainly in
flight, but there were substantial numbers probing in the shallows
also. It was entertaining to watch a Black Heron fishing in the
manner so characteristic, and comical, of this species. Shorebirds
were well represented as were gulls and terns.

Flamingos

For
some reason which escapes me, we were unable to drive to Lake Shalla,
so we missed the opportunity of any substantial birding there.

We
said goodbye to our friend from the wildlife organization and headed
to the same restaurant where we lunched on the first day of our trip.
I had exactly the same meal – fish with spicy sauce and rice, and a
macchiato coffee. It was all quite delicious.

From
there we pretty much pressed onwards to Nazaret, where we stayed at
the Maya Hotel, arriving at 17:00. It is an imposing structure, but
like everywhere else it is falling apart. I am sure that the room I
had was originally quite grand; now the paint is peeling off the
walls and it has a distinctly run-down look overall. In any event, it
was glorious when compared with the cabin from purgatory last night!

At
the restaurant earlier today, and now at the hotel WIFI is available.
It is incredible to see the transformation in some members of the
group when the prospect of WIFI looms. All conversation seems to
centre on whether or not they will be able to get connected. They
twitch a little, chatter nervously, their faces flush, their fingers
flex in preparation for the task ahead. I will not use names in order
to protect the guilty, but it was astonishing to see rational,
friendly, courteous, well-mannered, well-educated people, abandon all
sense of sociability, and become enslaved to their I-pads, tablets
and whatever other devices they had. They would sit at the table,
never attempt a moment of conversation, ignore everyone around them
and fiddle away with their devices. It was as clear an addiction as
any substance abuse. One fellow, whom I thought a particularly fine
chap, never let his thingamajig leave his hands even for a moment at
meal times, and simply ignored everyone and everything around him.
It was dismaying to see this transformation.

Thank
God some of us did not suffer from WIFI fever and actually talked to
each other over dinner!

Dinner
was taken at 19:00 and I had a quite good vegetable soup, followed by
fish goulash. It was quite tasty but it was impossible to know what
kind of fish it was since it was all coated with a layer of crispy
batter and served on a bed of rice. I took advantage of the fact that
cappuccino was available and it was made well. The Italian influence
lingers on.

I
had a glorious hot shower, hot I say, not lukewarm! The water
pressure was pretty low, but it was a great shower nevertheless. I
was in bed by 22:00.

I
awoke at ten minutes before five, and got dressed. I went for
breakfast at 05:25 having been advised that a buffet would be
available from 05:00 onwards. Nothing was ready; the restaurant was
in semi darkness. I returned to my room, not even having the luxury
of being able to inquire what time breakfast might be ready. At 06:00
I tried again; still nothing! At 06:15 some kind of service began,
but breakfast was quite awful. Food was available in metal containers
with lights underneath. However all of the contents were stone
cold..not just warm, stone cold. Obviously the food had been taken
out of a refrigerator without any attempt to heat it before placing
in the serving dishes. I tried a kind of mixed vegetable dish, but
cold potatoes are really not very good, and there were incredibly hot
peppers as part of the mix. There was no porridge, and the drink was
a powdered crystal mix again. Coffee wasn't bad though. When Wayne
had mentioned a buffet breakfast I had looked forward to it – silly
me!

Back
home to a bowl of cereal is looking better by the day!

The
WIFI crews were already engrossed in their chosen pursuit.

We
had noticed while driving to the hotel yesterday that we seemed to be
in a fruit-growing area based on the number of sidewalk vendors
selling melons and other fruits, so I had assumed that there would be
a selection of fresh fruit at breakfast. How wrong I was.

We
left at 07:00 travelling down the paved road that connects to
Djibouti which serves as a port of entry and departure for Ethiopia,
landlocked since the independence of Eritrea. What was really
interesting was that the road coming from Djibouti had deep grooves
made by the trucks with their heavy loads. Going in the other
direction the road was pristinely flat, revealing that Ethiopia is
exporting very little since the trucks are returning to port empty.

After
a couple of hours we stopped at an area characterized by extensive
lava beds where we searched for Sombre Rock Chat – successfully. At
nearby Lake Beseka, a lake that is constantly enlarging due to its
position between the two innermost folds of a graben (a downfaulted
area), we located a Western Reef Heron, a species spotted on less
than fifty percent of Rockjumper Ethiopian tours.

Western Reef Heron

One of the
interesting facets of this area is that the road and the railway line
have had to be repeatedly built up in order to stay above the rising
level of the lake. A wide range of herons, shorebirds and waterfowl
was present, and White-backed and Rueppell's Vultures fed on carrion
at the shore.

We
left this area at 11:05 to drive to Awash Falls Lodge, where we had
been advised that we would be spending two nights. As it turned out
that was not correct and we were staying at Bilen Lodge for one night
before moving over to Awash Falls. Since we were already there we had
lunch at Awash Falls National Park.

Carmine Bee-eater

I
had a very agreeable celery and leek soup, followed by stir-fried
chicken and noodles. It was not bad but I have no idea why they have
to coat the chicken in batter. Dessert was fruit salad in tamarind
sauce which I enjoyed very much, followed by delicious coffee.

After
lunch we left to drive to Bilen. The roads were, I think, the
dustiest ever and that is really saying something in Ethiopia.
Everybody and everything, was simply coated in dust. I carefully
cleaned my camera and binoculars last night, but they were already
worse than before. I am truly sick of dust.

Dust Devil

I
know that Rockjumper's outline of the trip does not go into specific
detail, (in fact it is quite euphemistic) but I think that some
honest mention should be made of the truly appalling conditions so
that people can make up their minds about the trip based on all the
facts. It would have been instructive to know when deciding on a
destination that most days would involve long drives, over
bone-jarring, dirt roads, with dust so bad at times you could hardly
see; dust that came through every crevice on the bus and coated every
surface. In the vehicle one was faced with the constant choice of
opening the window to get some air and a bit of a breeze, or closing
it and sweltering. The drives are simply abominable.

We
arrived at Bilen Lodge around 18:30 and met for dinner at 19:15.
Power is only available at Bilen until 20:00. Dinner was a fixed menu
affair and it was first class. We had a green salad, zucchini soup,
steak, potatoes and mixed vegetables, papaya with fresh limes to
squeeze on it, and coffee. Hot dishes were served hot, by a pleasant
and efficient staff.

Furthermore,
the cabins were rustic, but quite attractive, and as Lisa said, this
was our first lodging in Ethiopia where everything worked.

I
was awake at 05:30 following a good night's sleep. Breakfast at 06:30
consisted of an odd, but not unpleasant juice that tasted like a
combination of prune juice and iced tea, toast and jam, coffee.

We
birded around the lodge for a while obtaining very good looks at Nile
Valley Sunbird. It seemed pretty elusive at first but before the day
was out we would have had it in view several times. As is the case
with all sunbirds, it is a stunning species. White-headed Buffalo
Weavers were common on the grounds of the lodge and were very
photogenic. It is indeed a lovely bird.

The
local people here were very tall and slim, reminding one vaguely of
Masai and they all carried a long knife in a scabbard, evidently part
of their local custom. Some were selling necklaces but I don't think
anyone bought one.

When
we reached Alleghedi Plain we had the great good fortune to see
Harlequin Quail. Because of their retiring nature, and their ability
to lose themselves quickly, sightings of quail always seem quite
special to me. As might be expected on an extensive grassland
raptors were plentiful. The stars of the show, I thought, were our
only Long-legged Buzzard and our only Scissor-tailed Kite of the
trip, not species always encountered on these Rockjumper odysseys.

At
a wetland the numbers of Carmine Bee-eaters was simply staggering.

Senegal Thick-knees

Lunch
was taken in Sabat at a restaurant whose singular memory is that they
had virtually nothing

anyone
ordered. I had the fasting meal but it was nothing like the original
one that I had enjoyed so much. It featured a platter covered with
injera and a bland chickpea sauce – and that was it. I should
mention the ubiquitous drink, Ambo, we had been having all over
Ethiopia. It was a sparkling water, or could be obtained in various
flavours. I think that most people's choice was lemon/lime and it was
very pleasant. Today it was pineapple flavoured.

We
arrived at Awash Falls Lodge around 15:15. The cabins here are not as
nice as those at Bilen and they are in configurations of four,
connected by the thinnest of walls. There is absolutely no auditory
privacy – you can hear every cough, grunt, fart and hiccup from
your neighbours.

It
was very hot and Wayne had suggested we meet to do some birding at
16:00 when the heat of the day began to moderate.

We
went for a drive and birded along the route. We had stunning success
with bustards, netting three species – Arabian, White-bellied and
Buff-crested. Abyssinian Roller was fairly common and just about took
my breath away. It truly is a spectacular creature, and was clearly
my bird of the trip – if, in fact, there is such a thing. The drive
continued into darkness, but we saw very little other than a Greyish
Eagle-Owl.

Dinner
was at 19:45 and it was enjoyed in a very agreeable way. We were
seated at low tables around a central fire pit, with a traditional
coffee ceremony taking place, the fragrance of the incense filling
the night air. I had a gin and tonic before dinner and it tasted
great! Dinner consisted of an excellent minestrone soup, a decidedly
mediocre Cantonese fried rice, and a very good fruit salad. We
enjoyed coffee from the ceremony and it was served with popcorn as
tradition dictates. It was quite delicious.

I
was back in my room by 21:20. I had noticed earlier that the shower
had only one faucet, so it seemed to be a safe bet that there would
be no hot water. Bingo! I was right!

I
was awake early at 04:35. I tried to get back to sleep but couldn't,
so I got up. The plan was to meet Wayne at 06:25 for a two-hour walk
before breakfast, and very pleasant it was too. We got a chance to
see the falls from which the national park takes its name. In terms
of birds the clear highlight was at least one, possibly two, Eastern
Plantain-eater, which showed itself briefly, flew away, eluded us for
a while, but finally perched in full view so that everyone had a
clear and untrammelled view. We also had a very pleasing look at
African Pied Wagtail.

Eastern Grey Plantain-eater

Wayne
had arranged for breakfast at 08:30 but we were a little late. I had
toast, marmalade and porridge – all very good. There was real
orange juice too, not powdered crap mixed with water, real
juice. It was a little tart,
but welcome nonetheless, and the coffee, as usual, was excellent.

After
breakfast we clambered into the bus for a drive around the
grasslands, accompanied by a guard with a rifle. Given the stature of
the guard and the condition and age of the rifle, I think that any
danger would have been better handled by fleeing! We birded at
several stops along the route. Once again we netted three species of
bustard, and outstanding numbers.

Andrew
elected to stay behind since he was dealing with a recurring back
problem; in fact he was absent the whole day. It worked okay but it's
clearly unreasonable to burden one guide with ten clients and to
expect any kind of cohesion, and an equal chance to get on a bird.
Wayne managed well under trying circumstances, I thought.

Crimson-rumped Waxbill

We
arrived back at the lodge for lunch around 13:00, but Wayne had
advised the staff that we would be eating at 12:30, so everything was
ready and waiting for us. They gave me my beef stroganoff (cold)
before my soup, which, when it came was hot and delicious. I had the
same fruit salad as yesterday, Ambo flavoured water and coffee. The
stroganoff was quite dismal, the rest of the meal was excellent.

The
heat was intense by now and we had until 16:00 to relax before going
back out. I took the opportunity to do some laundry and it dried
quickly in the hot sun, draped over a bush, and over the chair from
my room. At one point a monkey tried to come in and join me, but I
quickly shooed it away. I can only imagine the damage a monkey could
do in no time at all!

The
baboons at this lodge have become so accustomed to humans they have
lost all their natural caution. There is a fellow in the dining room,
armed with a big stick, whose sole job appears to be to chase away
the baboons that come in trying to grab a snack.

On
our afternoon drive we added Hartlaub's Bustard, with sightings of no
less than eight individuals. This brought our day's total to
twenty-one birds of four species of bustard, quite exceptional by any
reckoning. It was a new high for Wayne. In addition we had gob
smacking looks at Abyssinian Roller again, truly a bird to evoke
delight of the purest kind, and several little parties of Helmeted
Guineafowl.

The
drive continued in darkness and we had the magnificent sighting of a
Caracal with a kitten. It was simply wonderful and we were able to
have a quite protracted look as the kitten seemed reluctant to leave
and the adult had to come back for it. Once again we dipped entirely
on nightjars and owls.

Dinner
was taken around a fire as it was last night, but it was enlivened by
a troupe of dancers performing traditional dances, and I found it
very entertaining. I had a gin and tonic again, followed by vegetable
soup, spaghetti carbonera, fruit cup and coffee from the coffee
ceremony. Everything was very good.

I
was back in my room by 21:10, had a cold shower, and turned in for
the night.

I
had set my alarm for 05:30 but I was out of bed by 05:05. Another day
to move on. Bags outside by 06:10 and breakfast at 06:15 – juice,
toast, marmalade, porridge, coffee.

We
left at 07:00, but had to turn back because Andrew had forgotten his
binoculars.

After
a short distance Ken spotted a male Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse. What a
truly beautiful bird! Everyone saw it from the bus, took some
photographs, and then we alighted ever so gingerly, and managed to
view the bird again without flushing it. Kudos to Ken for his sharp
eyes. Shortly afterwards Andrew spotted a male and a female of the
same species and we had good looks again.

This
was essentially a travel day and we motored onwards. We stopped at
Dreamland for lunch, but I forget to record what I ate. As was the
case when we had stopped here before we were able to do a little
birding from the balcony overlooking the lake. A flotilla of Little
Grebes decorated the lake like gems, the sun glinting off them and
the dark surface of the water. A pair of Scarlet-chested Sunbirds
were building a nest.

Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse

Our
target in the area known as Lali Sala was the endemic Erlanger's
Lark. Our first foray failed to turn it up, but on the second try we
were successful.

We
arrived at Negash Lodge at 16:25. If we figure that we spent about
forty-five minutes for lunch and another fifteen in the Erlanger's
Lark quest, this was another day with nine hours on the bus.

The
lodge is quite pleasant and set in lovely grounds, but in my room, as
has been true everywhere else in Ethiopia, the walls are scuffed,
chipped and dirty. I haven't tried the shower yet – that will be
the ultimate test.

The
WIFI addicts were on their devices almost as soon as their feet hit
the ground.

We
all had time to relax before dinner at 19:00 and I showered and
changed. The shower was warm, certainly not hot, but a great
improvement over most places, however.

Since
we had not done the list last night, we had to catch up, and it was
plain to see that Wayne was getting frustrated by the attention that
people were paying to their WIFI activity and to the perpetual
chatter going on. Finally he asked people to shut up, pay attention,
and focus on the task at hand. I was glad he did so. I had found that
doing the list was more chaotic each night, with more peripheral
chatter going on, than I could ever remember from other tours.

Dinner
was hot pepper soup – very good; terryaki chicken with rice and
vegetables – mediocre and fairly tasteless; fresh fruit salad –
excellent. I think that in most restaurants rice and mixed vegetables
seemed to be a standard accompaniment to every dish, so it was
prepared ahead of time and was always cold.

We
all met at the bus at 05:25 to leave for a drive of about an hour to
Ghibe Gorge where we would do some birding before breakfast al
fresco.

Black-billed Barbets

We
disembarked on what appeared to be a farm where Wire-tailed Swallows
perched very agreeably on a wire next to Barn Swallows for ease of
comparison. We set off on a long walk, birding all the while, until
we arrived at a river where pods of hippopotami were sighted. Their
backs bore the results of fighting, and bloody gashes could be seen.
An opportunistic Common Sandpiper wasted no time in feeding on
insects that had been attracted to the open sores. Two Senegal
Thick-knees on the opposite bank of the river gave us great views,
and a Three-banded Plover had young. A Pied Kingfisher hovering and
then diving into the water offered great entertainment. It was Andrew
who discovered a Moustached Grass Warbler for all to see.

Common Sandpiper feeding on Hippopotamus

We
saw several Lesser Blue-eared Glossy Starlings, distinctly different
in colouration from their Greater cousins, and on several occasions
we had the two together to really make the comparison.

Breakfast
was not served until 10:00. It was the standard offering we have had
every morning when served by Demmi and his crew and it was always
good.

We
continued to bird for a while and then returned to Negash Lodge for
lunch. I had selected spinach/feta cheese ravioli, but my stomach was
upset again and I ate little. Ken had ordered a tuna salad sandwich,
but there were so many uncooked items on it (e.g. lettuce, tomato)
that he decided not to eat it and I gave him some of my ravioli.
Dukarol seems not to have provided its normal protection, for this is
the second time on this trip that I have had traveller's diarrhea. I
started on a second round of cipro.

After
lunch we loaded up and headed for Addis Ababa. There we transferred
to 4 x 4 vehicles for the remainder of the trip. I rode with Trevor
and Ann, with Demmi as our driver and Wayne as grand commander of the
vehicle. My stomach cramps, which had subsided somewhat, became
fairly severe about half way from Addis to Debre Birham, our
destination that day.

When
we arrived at 19:30 I grabbed the key to my room from Wayne and made
a dash for the bathroom. Just in time took on a whole new
meaning! I went to get my suitcase and carry-on but Demmi kindly
brought them to my room. I let Wayne know that I would pass on dinner
that night.

I
just relaxed as best I could in yet another classically crummy room
and finally went to bed at about 21:30.

I
awoke around 04:30 but stayed in bed until about 05:30. My stomach
still felt a little rocky.

Breakfast
was taken at the hotel restaurant and I just had a little porridge.
That shouldn't tax my system too greatly.

We
headed out to Gemassa Geden to see the long-awaited Gelada or
Lion-headed Baboon. As soon as the vehicle pulled off the road we saw
several of these magnificent, unique creatures, that live out their
lives on the crags and peaks of the Ethiopian Plateau. Craig, Ann and
I ascended to the top of one of them and had a breath-taking view of
the Rift Valley below.

Gelada

Unfortunately
Ann was quite sick and I went to get Trevor to be with her. Trevor
revealed that he was not feeling a hundred percent either. Carsten
had been sick for a couple of days, and at one point was prone on the
back seat of the vehicle in which he was travelling. Cecil revealed
that he had issues with diarrhea the previous day, and I know that
Craig was having some stomach rumblings, so it appears that something
hit several of us.

While
we were on the mountain the rest of the group managed to locate the
endemic Ankober Serin, but despite searching again, it failed to
reappear. I did, however, get to see the other endemic of the area,
Yellow-rumped Seedeater. While walking along a mountain stream we
located our first Grey Wagtail of the trip, and I believe that Andrew
and I saw the only Black Stork of the trip. Later, overlooking a
valley from a high vantage point we had the incredible experience of
being above a Verreaux's Eagle and seeing its distinctive wing
pattern from above. I would imagine this is a view shared by few
birders and I was elated. It was certainly one of the highlights of
the entire trip for me.

Lunch,
prepared by the crew, was spaghetti with tomato sauce, and a dish
comprising beets, potatoes, carrots and tomatoes. It was all very
tasty, but I ate just a little. My stomach was starting to feel much
better and I thought it better not to overtax it.

It
was a long journey back to Debre Birham so we left shortly after
lunch. We went for dinner at 19:00 and I had rice and vegetables to
keep it light. It was not especially tasty but was probably quite
nutritious and certainly didn't feel heavy on my stomach. When doing
the list, Wayne just covered the “highlights.” I would have much
preferred that we do the whole thing, and I filled in the gaps as
best my memory permitted, but it's likely that I missed a species or
two.

I
took a shower and got into bed about 21:30 to get ready to depart at
04:30 in the morning.

Demmi
and his crew set up breakfast for us at a truly delightful spot,
perhaps the most picturesque of the trip. In the meantime we had seen
two new species of Francolin – Harwood's and Erckel's, and the
endemic Rueppell's Chat. Our presence seemed to attract a cohort of
locals who clearly were familiar with the birds we were seeking.

After
breakfast we moved along, birding here and there. At one stop four
Fox Kestrels were feeding on locusts and we saw five Abyssinian
Ground Hornbills in the same spot. We arrived at a river where the
birding was very productive indeed. Perhaps most rewarding for me was
close up looks at Wire-tailed Swallow. Ann's judicious spotting
resulted in the only Western Osprey of our entire trip. And speaking
of Ann, it was good to see her restored to her normal self, bright,
attentive and an ace at locating birds. Lisa was responsible for
finding a Half-collared Kingfisher, a species that had eluded us for
the entire trip, and I believe was a lifer for everyone.

Fox Kestrel

Wire-tailed Swallow

We
had lunch alongside the river. The setting was enchanting but it was
hot. Craig's thermometer registered 44 degrees. Lunch consisted of
the bean salad we had had previously and a kind of tuna salad. It was
all quite good and we enjoyed the location very much.

After
lunch we settled in for the long drive to Addis. For the most part we
travelled on paved roads and made good time until we arrived on the
outskirts of the city. We then slowed to a crawl. The traffic in
Addis Ababa has to be experienced to be believed. It is impossible
for anyone not familiar with its chaos to understand how the traffic
moves at all.

We
arrived at the Ghion Hotel at 18:30 and after being frisked by
security we were shown to our rooms, which were in a different
section of the hotel than when we had arrived in Ethiopia, and were
considerably better. In fact I had a suite. We met in a kind of
lounge at 19:15 to do the list (once again only highlights) and left
for our farewell dinner at a restaurant in Addis.

The
food was buffet style and was as good as we had throughout our entire
trip, maybe better. There was also a show of Ethiopian dancers, far
more sophisticated and energetic than those we had seen at Awash
Lodge, and the show was quite fantastic. I enjoyed it immensely.

I
was back at my room by 20:30 and rearranged my suitcase for the
journey home. I was in bed by 23:00. It would be a short night's
sleep, but I could sleep on the plane, and back at home for that
matter. Everyone except Carsten and me were going on the extension to
Libella, but I was more than happy to be heading to Ontario.

I
was awake at 04:10. I lay in bed for a while and then got up. I had
everything ready to leave and went down early with my bags.

We
were at the airport shortly after 06:00 and everything proceeded very
smoothly. My bag was checked all the way through to Toronto and I got
boarding passes for both legs of the journey. I certainly didn't need
to be at the airport three hours before departure.

Coffee Ceremony at the airport

We
boarded on time and the plane was half empty. Everything went through
with seamless efficiency. For a country so chaotic the airport is an
island of efficiency.

Shortly
after take off I was served a little snack pack of some kind of mini
cracker and juice.

Lunch,
which was served later, was steamed salmon with curried lentils and
mixed veggies, a tasty pasta salad, crackers and cheese; dessert was
a kind of custard. I had a small bottle of Chardonnay and coffee. All
in all it was not bad.

About
an hour before landing at Heathrow we were given a muffin and coffee.

We
arrived at 14:25 and disembarked quickly. It was a long walk to my
gate at Heathrow, but there were no problems. I bought a cappuccino
for the exhorbitant price of $5.00 and settled in for the long wait.

We
boarded our Air Canada flight at at 17:30; again the flight was far
from full. We were in the air by 18:11. Dinner consisted of chicken,
mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, a small shredded salad which
reminded me of Kimchi, and a soft cookie. I had a French Sauvignon
Blanc and a coffee. About an hour before landing I was served a wrap
of Mediterranean vegetables and feta cheese. It was basically
tasteless.

I
forget what time we landed but we were pretty much on time and I was
thrilled to see Miriam and John waiting for me in the arrivals area.

It
was good to be home!

General
Comments

This
was a hard, gruelling trip over terrible roads, with many long days
spent on the bus. The ratio of travel time to birding time was
dismal. There were terrific birds to see and if one could separate
the birding from the general misery it would be tremendous.
Accommodations were at best passable and at times downright awful.
The food was for the most part substandard; at times quite good.
Rarely was anything exceptional. Ironically, the meals prepared on
camp stoves by the crew were among the tastiest. Would I do it again?
Not even if you offered it for free.

Rockjumper
Birding Tours

This
was my second trip with Rockjumper.I
think that, in general, it is a fine company. I do believe, however,
that they need to have a little moredisclosure
up front about the kinds of conditions one will encounter.
Euphemisms, such as “some long drives” don't even come close to
describing the truly miserable, bone-jarring, dust laden days ones
had to endure, and it should be pointed out before participants sign
up that more time will be spent in the bus than birding. It is my
opinion that ten clients are simply too much on one trip. With two
guides it makes twelve people and it is quite unworkable.

Our
Guides

Wayne
Jones was as fine a young man
as one could possibly meet. His birding skills were terrific and his
personality and constant good humour made it a great pleasure to be
around him. I have nothing but the highest praise and the highest
regard for Wayne. Given the opportunity, I would not hesitate to
travel with him again. I might be a little more selective about my
destination, however!

Andrew
Stainthorpe seemed to be a fine
fellow but I never felt that I really got to know him. He was a great
spotter at times but for the most part he seemed vaguely disconnected
from the trip. I never felt he was really involved with us, and his
constant nagging back problems certainly did nothing to help his
situation.

Further
InformationContact
David M. Gascoigne, 519 725-0866, email: theospreynest@sympatico.ca.
A spreadsheet of all species seen can be sent on request.